A shortage claim says the buyer received fewer units than it expected or was invoiced for. Sometimes the shipment really was short. Sometimes case-pack conversions, receiving counts or invoice references do not agree. A dispute is strongest when it identifies the exact difference and supports it with delivery evidence.
Reconcile the quantities before the dollars
- Match the deduction to the purchase order, invoice, SKU and receiving location.
- Put ordered, shipped, invoiced and received quantities in the same unit of measure. Check cases, inner packs and eaches explicitly.
- Account for partial deliveries, substitutions, returns and damage separately.
- Calculate the disputed quantity at the applicable agreed price. Do not dispute the full invoice if only one line is wrong.
Assemble a packet that answers the claim
Include the purchase order, invoice, packing list, signed bill of lading or proof of delivery, and the receiving discrepancy notice. Highlight the disputed line and explain how the documents connect. A document signed at pickup establishes a different fact from one signed at delivery.
A signature alone does not guarantee payment. If the receipt only confirms pallet count, it may not settle a dispute about cases inside those pallets. Request the receiving detail and any relevant carrier records before asserting a case count that the documents do not support.
Use the shortage documentation checklist to identify missing evidence, and keep the original documents alongside your calculation.
Use the correct distributor workflow
KeHE deduction review separates the initial unloading discrepancy response from a later repayment dispute. UNFI deduction review matches the charge to the correct natural or conventional channel records. Check the current policy and notice for the submission channel and deadline.
For Amazon, establish whether you are working in Vendor Central or Seller Central before applying a policy. Seller FBA inventory reimbursement rules are not interchangeable with a vendor invoice-shortage dispute.
Prioritize by deadline and evidence
Work the earliest deadlines first, then consider claim value and evidence readiness. Assign an owner to missing delivery records. Keep a submitted claim's case number, response, next action and follow-up date together so it does not disappear after filing.
Measure outcomes without inventing a win rate
No issuer-wide recovery rate is promised here. Compare your own resolved claims by distributor, shipment type and documentation quality. Record rejected claims and the reasons as well as wins.
A claim is recovered when a credit or repayment is actually received and reconciled. Cash application in Revya connects remittances and invoice balances so approval and payment remain distinct.
Fix the cause as well as the deduction
Repeated conversion errors call for an item-master correction. Repeated missing receipts call for a carrier-document process. Repeated receiving discrepancies at one location need a focused review with your logistics team. The connected Revya workflow keeps that operational context with the financial charge.